Emergency pump system powered by lawnmower

ABSTRACT

A high-volume pump system for emergency use (flooded basements, etc.) powered by a rotary lawnmower; the pump system comprises a base for supporting a lawnmower and a high-volume rotary pump mounted in the base below the lawnmower. A coupling adapter is included in the system and is fastened to the lawnmower blade; the coupling adapter connects the lawnmower to the pump to afford a short, direct driving connection for operating the pump.

United States Patent Keating [451 May 28, 1974 EMERGENCY PUMP SYSTEMPOWERED BY LAWNMOWER Francis J. Keating, 44E. North Ave., Lake Forest,111. 60045 Filed: Dec. 4, 1972 Appl. No.: 311,793

Inventor:

US. Cl 417/236, 56/169, 415/121 Int. Cl. F041) 17/00 Field of Search417/231, 236, 229; 15/412;

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS I 3/1960 Evanson etal. 15 412 x10/1964' Lita et a1. ..417/236 Pusztay 56/169 X Primary ExaminerCar ltonR. Croyle Assistant ExaminerRichard Sher Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Kinzer, Plyer, Dorn &

McEachran [57] ABSTRACT A high-volume pump system for emergency use(flooded basements, etc.) powered by a rotary lawnmower; the pump systemcomprises a base for supporting a lawnmower and a high-volume rotarypump mounted in the base below the lawnmower. A coupling adapter isincluded in the system and is fastened to the lawnmower blade; thecoupling adapter connects the lawnmower to the pump to afford a short,direct driving connection for operating the pump.

7 Claims, .6 Drawing Figures PATENTEnmvzamm 3.813.190

fi f/ F5424 I 3. 4 19 a 1 EMERGENCY PUMP SYSTEM POWERED BY LAWNMOWERBACKGROUND or THE INVENTION With continuing development and expansion ofurban and semi-urban areas, particularly in the suburbs surroundingmajor metropolitan areas, flood control presents an increasinglydifficult problem. The interference with natural drainage occasioned byexpanding real estate development, for both housing and commercialpurposes, creates increasingly extensive areas in which the runoff ofground water requires an excessive time. The consequence is morefrequent flooding'of basements, repeatedly producing serious damage.

The expedients available to a homeowner, or to the owner of a commercialbuilding, where flooding is a continuing problem, include the provisionof an electric pump to pump out the building basement when required.This presents only a partial solution to the difficulty, however, sinceheavy rain conditions are frequently accompanied by powerline failures,particularly in residential developments where the power lines andassociated equipment are often in exposed positions. Another readilyavailable means for alleviating this basement-flood problem comprises adrainage pump driven by a small gasoline engine. This kind of pumpingequipment, however, if left unused for substantial periods of time,maypresent an appreciable difficulty with respect to starting thegasoline engine. The problem could be alleviated byperiodic testoperation of theengine, but this procedure is likely to be over lookedby the building owner, so that the engine-driven pump may not functionproperly when its use is required.

For most suburban homes, and for many small commercial buildings, apower-driven lawnmower is readily available and is maintainedcontinuously in operating condition, particularly in those months of theyear in which excessiverain conditions are most likely to occur.Conventional power driven lawnmowers usually have gasoline engines'in apower range (2 to 5 horsepower) adequate to drivea water pump having arelatively high. volumetric capacity. Since the building ownerordinarily maintains his power lawnmowerin effective operatingcondition, with an adequate supply of fuel available, the lawnmoweraffords a reasonably reliable power source that can be adapted toemergency pumping operations.

Previous proposals have been advanced for the use of a rotary powerlawnmower as a power source for auxiliary equipment. Attachments of thiskind, as previously proposed, however, are not particularly suitable forthe pumping duty required for emergency flood conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the presentinvention, therefore. to provide a new and improved emergency pumpingsystem, powered by a conventional rotary lawnmower, that affords aneffective and efficient pumping apparatus for pumping out a basement orother depressed area under emergency flood conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhigh-volume pump system powered by a rotary lawnmower that can be placedin operation in a 2. very limited period of time and hence is suitablefor emergency flood pumping duty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhigh-volume emergency pumping system that can be effectively adapted toutilization of a variety of different sizes and typesof rotaryengine-driven lawnmowers, as a power source, without requiring adifferent mechanical construction to adapt the system to each individuallawnmower type and size.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhigh-volume pump system, powered by a conventional engine-driven rotarylawnmower, that is simple and inexpensive in construction and that iseconomical to maintain.

Accordingly, the invention relates to a high-volume pump system foremergency use, powered by a rotary lawnmower of the kind comprising aframe supported on a plurality of wheels, an engine mounted on the frameand having a vertically oriented output shaft, and a horizontallyextending rotary cutting blade mounted below and connected to the engineshaft. The pump system comprises a base, including a plurality of wheelsupport members for supporting the wheels of a lawnmower, and blockingmeans for positioning and retaining the lawnmower in stationary positionon the base, supported by the base, with each wheel on one of the wheelsupport members. A high-volume rotary pump, having a drive shaft, ismounted within. the base immediately below the lawnmower, with the pumpshaft aligned coaxially with the engine shaft. The system includes aninput conduit and an output conduit, each connected to the pump and eachextending to the outside of the base. A drive adapter means isreleasably connectable to the lawnmower blade and is connected to thepump shaft, completing a direct driving connection from the lawnmowerengine to the rotary pump. Indicator means are provided, on the pumpshaft and on the drive adapter means, indicating the relative alignmentthereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 isa perspective-view of ahigh-volume pump system for emergency use, constructed in accordancewith the present invention, with a conventional enginedriven rotarylawnmower incorporated in thesystem as its power source; I

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view taken approximately along line 2-2in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view, illustrating the adapter connection to thelawnmower blade, taken approximately as indicated by line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail illustration showing a part of the drive connectionfor the pumping system of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a part of the system, illustrating theblocking means used to position the lawnmower wheels; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view illustrating a different form of driveconnection that may be incorporated in the system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate ahigh-volume pump system 10, intended for emergency application underflood conditions, that is powered by a conventional enginedriven rotarylawnmower ll. Lawnmower 11 includes a frame 12 upon which a gasolineengine 13 is mounted. The output shaft 14 of engine 13 is verticallyoriented and projects downwardly through the lawnmower frame 12, asshown in FIG. 2.

The frame 12 of lawnmower 11 has an edge configuration that forms aspiral grass-expulsion passage 15 closed on the outer side by adepending skirt 16. The skirt 16 is generally circular in configuration,except for a side discharge opening 17 (FIG. 1). An elongated,horizontally-extending rotary cutting blade 18 is mounted upon the endof the engine shaft 14 that projects below the lawnmower frame 12. Inthe illustrated construction, the lawnmower blade 18 has two cuttingedges 19, as shown in FIG. 3.

Lawnmower 11 includes four support wheels 21A, 21B, 21C and 21D (FIGS.land 2). Each of the lawnmower wheels 21A-21D is provided with anadjusting device for adjusting the height of the lawnmower frame 12relative to the wheel axis. These height adjustment devices aregenerally indicated by the adjustment levers 22A through 22D, associatedwith wheels 21A through 21D, respectively. Lawnmower 11 is provided withthe usual handle 23, which serves to guide the lawnmower in its normaloperations and that may be employed to enable the operator to push orpull the lawnmower over a lawn. Lawnmower 11 may be of the kind thatrequires the operator to provide the motive power to move the lawnmoweracross a lawn; altematively, lawnmower 11 may be of the type thataffords a driving connection to the rear wheels 21C and 21D to allow forself-propelled operation.

Lawnmower II, as noted above, is quite conventional in construction.Furthermore, the operation of lawnmowers of this general kind is amatter of common knowledge, and hence requires no description here.

Pumping system 10 includes a base of box-like construction, including afront wall 31, a rear wall 32, two side walls 33 and 34, and a bottom 35(FIGS. 1 and 2). The front wall 31 of base 30 is cut away to afford anaccess opening 36 (FIG. 1). Base 30 includes four integral wheel supportmembers 37A, 37B, 37C and 37D for supporting the lawnmower wheels 21A,21B, 21C and 21D, respectively. An adjustable blocking member is mountedon each of the wheel support members 37A-37D. Thus, an L-shaped wheelblocking member 38A mounted upon the wheel support member 37A, is shownin FIGS. 1 and 5. The wheel blocking member 38A is secured to the wheelsupport member 37A by two bolts 39, one on each side of the blockingmember, with the bolts extending downwardly through openings 41 in thesupport member 37A. As shown in FIG. 5, there are a number of theopenings 41 in support member 37A, in a spaced pattern, permittingadjustment of the blocking member 38A to any one of a plurality ofpositions on the wheel support member 37A. One of the alternatepositions for blocking member 38 is illustrated by the dash outline 38A.Similar blocking members 38B, 38C, and 38D are mounted, in the samemanner, on wheel supports 37B, 37C and 37D, respectively.

A high-volume rotary pump 42 is mounted within the base 30 for pumpingsystem 10, as best shown in FIG. 2. Pump 42 includes a main pump housing43 supported upon a shaft bearing pedestal 44 that is in turn mountedupon the bottom 35 of base 30. The pump shaft 45 projects upwardly fromthe center of pump housing 43 and is aligned coaxially with thelawnmower engine shaft 14, as described more fully hereinafter. An inletconduit 46 is connected to the main pump housing 43 and extendsoutwardly through one side wall 34 of base 30 (FIGS. 1 and 2). A pumpoutlet conduit 47 is connected to the housing 43 of pump 42 and extendsoutwardly of base 30 through the side wall 33. The two conduits 46 and47 are provided with suitable couplings for connection to input andoutput hoses. as indicated by the hoses 48 and 49 in FIG. 1.

Pump 42 may comprise any rotary pump having a pumping capacity of theorder of 50 gallons per minute or more when operated at the rotationalspeeds common to conventional rotary lawnmowers. Thus, a conventionalcentrifugal pump may be employed as the pump 42 in system 10. For acentrifugal pump, requiring an axial connection to the inlet conduit,the pump housing 42 is preferably constructed with internal passagesconnecting the inlet conduits 46 to the center of the pump. Another pumptype that may be utilized is a rotary roller pump, of the kind used foragricultural and industrial pumping applications. Pumps of the lattertype may be constructed to afford both inlet and outlet connectionsaround the periphery of the pump, as shown in Cook US. Pat. No.3,096,569.

The pump shaft 45 is provided with an upwardly opening tapered socket51. Socket 51 may be of square, hexagonal, or other appropriateconfiguration that will afford an effective power-transmittingconnection to a short adapter shaft 52 of complementary downwardlytapered configuration. Shaft 52 is a part of a drive connection adapter53, which includes a center plate 54 to which shaft 52 is fixedlymounted. Adapter 53 further comprises a first extension plate that isfitted to and extends outwardly from one end of the center plate 54,being secured to the center plate by suitable fastening means such asthe bolts 57 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Atthe opposite end of the center plate 54,a second extension plate 56 is mounted on the center plate and issecured thereto by appropriate means such as the bolts 58.

The drive connection adapter 53, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,includes an elongated central aperture or receptacle 59 that extendslongitudinally of the adapter assembly, through both the center plate 54and the extension plates 55 and 56. The overall length of the receptacle59 can be increased by releasing the bolts 57 and 58, moving theextension plates 55 and 56 outwardly, by equal amounts, and re-fasteningthe extension plates to the center plate 54 by locating the bolts 57 and58 in alternate locations as indicated by the apertures 57A and 58A inFIG. 3. In this manner, the length of the receptacle 59 in the drivingconnection adapter 53 can be adjusted to fit a mower blade of virtuallyany standard length. It may be noted that the blade length, inconventional mowers, is usually within a limited range of approximatelyseventeen inches to twenty-four inches. The ends of the receptacle 59are closed by two end walls 61 and 62, formed integrally with theextension plates 55 and 56, respectively. The end walls 61 and 62 shouldbe thin enough to afford reasonable clearance with respect to thelawnmower skirt 16, as shown in FIG. 2.

The drive connection adapter 53 includes releasable retaining means forsecuring the adapter to the lawnmower blade 18. In the illustratedconstruction, this retaining means comprises a latch member 63,pivotally mounted upon one side of extension plate 55, near the outerend of the extension plate, that is engageable with a wing nut fastener65 mounted on the other side of extension plate 55. A similar latchmember 64 is pivotally mounted on the other extension plate 56, near itsouter end, and is engageable with a wing nut fastener 66 mounted uponthe extension plate.

To facilitate quick mounting of the lawnmower 11 on the base 30 ofpumping system 10, and to enable the user to complete an effectivedriving connection from the lawnmower to the pump 42, the pump shaft 45is preferably provided with a plurality of external indicators 71 thatafford an indication of the orientation of the drive socket 51 in thepump shaft 45. The adapter connector shaft 52 is provided with at leastone related external indicator 72. The arrangement of the indicators 71and 72 is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. By looking through the accessopening 36 in the pumping system base 30 (FIG. 1), the user candetermine when the adapter 53 is aligned with the pump shaft 45, bothangularly and laterally, so that the adapter shaft 52 will fit properlyinto the pump shaft socket 51. The access opening 36 also allows theuser to correct any misalignment as shown by the indicators 71 and 72.

To place the high-volume pumping system in operation, the user mountsthe adapter 53 on the lawnmower blade 18, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thelatch members 63 and 64 are each pivoted to the latching position shownin FIG. 3 and are secured in those positions by the wing nut fasteners65 and 66, securely clamping the drive connection adapter 53 on thelawnmower blade 18. The first time the system is to be used, it may benecessary to adjust the, overall length of the blade receptacle 59, byextension or retraction of the adapter extension plates 55 and 56, usingthe fastening means 57 and 58 as described above. Once this adjustmentis effected, however, it is good for any further use of the samelawnmower in connection with pumping system 10.

With adapter 53 mounted on the lawnmower blad l8, lawnmower llis placedon the pumping system base 30, approximately in the position shown inFIGS. 1 and 2; The first time the system is to be used, the wheel blockmembers 38A-38D may require adjustment to positions at which each willbe closely associated with one of thelawnmower wheels 2lA-21D. As in thecase of theadjustment of the length of adapter 53, the positioning ofthe wheel block members 38A-38D is carried out only one time, andthereafter remains constant for any use with the same lawnmower.

Before lawnmower 11 is mounted on the pump sys tem base 30, the wheelheight adjusting mechanisms represented by the adjustment levers 22A-22Dare each adjusted so that the lawnmower frame 12 is elevated to themaximum extent possible with respect to the lawnmower wheels. As aconsequence, when the lawnmower is properly positioned on the pumpingsystem base, with shaft 14 centered over shaft 45, there is some limitedclearance between the lower end of the adapter shaft'52 (the adapter 53is now mounted on the lawnmower) and, the upper surface of the pumpshaft 45. Accordingly, if the adapter 53 is not properly aligned withthe pump shaft 45, a misalignment that will be clear from inspection ofthe indicators7l and 72, the user can reach into the pump base throughthe access opening 36, and turn the lawnmower blade or the pump shaftslightly to achieve a close approximation of the desired alignment. Theadjustment devices 22A-22D are then actuated to lower the lawnmowerframe to the maximum extent possible, seating the adapter shaft 52 inthe socket 51 in the pump shaft 45 as shown in FIG. 2. The pumpingsystem 10 is now ready for operation and pumping can be initiated bystarting up the lawnmower engine 13.

If the owner of the pumping system 10 purchases a new lawnmower, it isnot necessary to replace the pumping system. The blocking means formaintaining lawnmower 11 in operative position on base 30, comprisingthe blocking members 38A-38D, can be adjusted to conform to a lawnmowerof different size or one having different wheel positions. Similarly,the drive connection adapter 53 can be adjusted to fit the blade in thenew mower. Accordingly, as long as a mower of generally similar type isemployed, the pumping system 10 can be readily adapted to the new mower,despite a change in size or wheel alignment.

In the course of pumping operation, there is little likelihood thatvibration will disengage the driving connection in between the lawnmowerl1 and the pumping system. Thus, the drive connection adapter 53 issecurely mounted on the lawnmower blade and will not vibrate loose. Foralmost any commercial mower, the vertical range afforded by the wheelheight adjustment is sufficient so that the adapter shaft 52 projects atleast a couple of inches into the socket in the pump shaft 45, virtuallyeliminating any likelihood that the lawnmower 11 can bounce out ofdriving engagement with the pump 42. Of course, if a self-propelledmower is employed, the clutch for the drive to the mower wheels shouldbe maintained disengaged; Even if the clutch is momentarily engaged,however, there is little likelihood of damage to the mower or to thepumping equipment.

FIG. 6 illustrates another connection arrangement that may be employedin the emergency pumping system 10, entailing a modification in theconstruction for the pump shaft and the drive adapter that connects tothat shaft. As shown in FIG. 6, the pump 42 may be' equipped with ashort upwardly extending shaft 145. The adapter 153 used in thisconstruction includes a downwardly extending adapter shaft 152 having aninternal socket 151 for receiving the pump shaft 145. A firm drivingconnection is established, from the pump adapter shaft 152 to the pumpshaft 145, by suitable means such as a connection pin 154. The adapter153 is similar in construction to the previously described adapter 53except that the blade-receiving receptacle 159 in the adapter 153 isopen-ended so that the receptacle is externally visible, serving thesame general purpose as the indicia 71,72. As before, the lawnmowerblade 18 fits into the receptacle 159 to provide the necessary drivingconnection from the lawnmower to the pump in the system.

The construction shown in FIG. 6 has the advantage, as compared to thepreviously described construction, that the adapter may be permanentlymounted on the pump of the system and does not require the completion ofan interconnection to the pump 42, each time the system is placed inuse, as in the first-described embodiment. However, the arrangement ofFIG. 6 also presents some disadvantages as compared with the previouslydescribed system. Thus, with the construction of FIG. 6 it is ratherdifficult to align the lawnmower blade 18 with the adapter receptacle159 unless the pump shaft is accurately aligned in adirection to affordfull visibility through the access aperture 36 before the lawnmower ismounted upon the base 30. In addition, it may be quite difficult tosecure any fastening device that may be provided for the blade 18, suchas the retainer devices 63 and 64 (FIG. 3) after the lawnmower has beenlowered into position of use on the pumping system. Thus, the preferredconstruction is that shown in FIGS. l-5.

The pumping system of the invention affords a convenient and inexpensivemeans for pumping out basements and for other similar emergencyapplications requiring substantially immediate availability of thepumping apparatus even though electrical power may not be available. Thepumping system eliminates any necessity for a separate engine to powerthe system and affords increased reliability because the lawnmower 11 ismore likely to be ready for immediate use than a stand-by engineemployed only for pumping service.

I claim:

1. A high volume pump system for emergency use, powered by a rotarylawnmower of the like comprising a frame supported on a plurality ofwheels, an engine mounted on the frame and having a vertically orientedengine shaft, and a horizontally extending rotary cutting blade mountedbelow and connected to the engine shaft, said pump system comprising:

a base, including a plurality of wheel support members for supportingthe wheels of a lawnmower and an access opening;

adjustably positioned blocking means for positioning and retaining thelawnmower in stationary position on the base, supported by .the base,with each wheel on one of the wheel support members;

a high-volume rotary pump, having a drive shaft, mounted within the baseimmediately below the lawnmower, with the pump shaft aligned coaxiallywith and extending upwardly toward the engine shaft;

an input conduit and an output conduit, each connected to the pump andeach extending to the outside of said base;

drive adapter means, releasably connectable to the lawnmower blade andreleasably connectable to the pump shaft for completing a direct drivingconnection from the lawnmower engine to the rotary pump;

an indicator means, on the pump shaft and the drive adapter means,indicating the relative alignment thereof and viewable through theaccess opening in said base.

2. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 1, in which said drive adapter means includes a downwardly taperedadapter shaft which fits into a complementary tapered drive socket inthe upper end of said pump drive shaft.

3. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 1, in which said drive adapter means comprises a central adapterplate, a pair of extension plates each adjustably mounted on one end ofsaid central adapter plate to accommodate mower blades of varyinglengths, anda mower blade receptacle extending longitudinally of saidcentral adapter plate and both said extension plates.

-4. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 3, in which said adapter means further comprises a pair ofreleasable retainers, each mounted on one of said extension plates, forlatching the mower blade into said receptacle.

5. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 3, in which said blocking means comprises a plurality ofindividual blocking members, one for each wheel support member, eachblocking member being mountable at any one of a plurality of differentpositions on its wheel support member to conform the pump system tolawnmowers of varying size and wheel configuration.

6. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 1, in which the access opening allows view of the drive adapterand the pump shaft to determine when the drive adapter and pump shaftare aligned both angularly and laterally.

7. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 1, in which the pump shaft is provided with a plurality ofexternal indicators and the drive adapter means is provided with atleast one external indicator.

1. A high volume pump system for emergency use, powered by a rotarylawnmower of the like comprising a frame supported on a plurality ofwheels, an engine mounted on the frame and having a vertically orientedengine shaft, and a horizontally extending rotary cutting blade mountedbelow and connected to the engine shaft, said pump system comprising: abase, including a plurality of wheel support members for supporting thewheels of a lawnmower and an access opening; adjustably positionedblocking means for positioning and retaining the lawnmower in stationaryposition on the base, supported by the base, with each wheel on one ofthe wheel support members; a high-volume rotary pump, having a driveshaft, mounted within the base immediately below the lawnmower, with thepump shaft aligned coaxially with and extending upwardly toward theengine shaft; an input conduit and an output conduit, each connected tothe pump and each extending to the outside of said base; drive adaptermeans, releasably connectable to the lawnmower blade and releasablyconnectable to the pump shaft for completing a direct driving connectionfrom the lawnmower engine to the rotary pump; an indicator means, on thepump shaft and the drive adapter means, indicating the relativealignment thereof and viewable through the access opening in said base.2. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according toclaim 1, in which said drive adapter means includes a downwardly taperedadapter shaft which fits into a complementary tapered drive socket inthe upper end of said pump drive shaft.
 3. A lawnmower-poweredhigh-volume emergency pump system, according to claim 1, in which saiddrive adapter means comprises a central adapter plate, a pair ofextension plates each adjustably mounted on one end of said centraladapter plate to accommodate mower blades of varying lengths, and amower blade receptacle extending longitudinally of said central adapterplate anD both said extension plates.
 4. A lawnmower-powered high-volumeemergency pump system, according to claim 3, in which said adapter meansfurther comprises a pair of releasable retainers, each mounted on one ofsaid extension plates, for latching the mower blade into saidreceptacle.
 5. A lawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system,according to claim 3, in which said blocking means comprises a pluralityof individual blocking members, one for each wheel support member, eachblocking member being mountable at any one of a plurality of differentpositions on its wheel support member to conform the pump system tolawnmowers of varying size and wheel configuration.
 6. Alawnmower-powered high-volume emergency pump system, according to claim1, in which the access opening allows view of the drive adapter and thepump shaft to determine when the drive adapter and pump shaft arealigned both angularly and laterally.
 7. A lawnmower-powered high-volumeemergency pump system, according to claim 1, in which the pump shaft isprovided with a plurality of external indicators and the drive adaptermeans is provided with at least one external indicator.